Driving in Hawaii on Out-of-State or Foreign License

Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

You can drive in Hawaii on a valid license from another U.S. state, a U.S. territory or a Canadian province. A foreign license holder can drive for up to one year from arrival in the United States, and an International Driving Permit is strongly recommended. Moving to Hawaii? Most U.S. and Canadian license holders swap with a vision test. Japan, Korea and Taiwan have reciprocity deals, and everyone else takes the written and road tests.

Key facts (as of November 2026)

Visitors with a valid U.S., U.S. territory or Canadian license need no Hawaii license.
Foreign license plus International Driving Permit: valid for one year from your first U.S. port of entry, the Hawaii Driver’s Manual says.
Honolulu: the foreign-license driver must be at least 18 and carry a passport showing the entry date.
Transfer from another state, territory or Canada: vision test, documents, surrender your old license. Written and road tests can be waived.
Reciprocity countries: Japan, Korea and Taiwan only.
An expired or lost license cannot be transferred: you take the written and road tests.

Which licenses can you drive on in Hawaii?

Your license	Driving in Hawaii as a visitor	Getting a Hawaii license
Another U.S. state, DC, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam or Northern Mariana Islands	Allowed while valid (Class 1 to 3 equivalent or provisional)	Vision test and documents; tests may be waived
Canadian province	Allowed while valid	Vision test and documents; tests may be waived
Japan, Korea or Taiwan	Foreign license rules below	Reciprocity: consulate letter, vision test, no written or road test
Other country	Up to 1 year from U.S. entry, with an IDP recommended	Written test, permit, then road test

Driving in Hawaii on a foreign license

The manual says a foreign license with an International Driving Permit issued in your home country is valid for one year from the date you arrive (your first port of entry) in the United States.

Honolulu’s FAQ gives the county’s practical version for Geneva Convention countries:

You must be at least 18.
Carry your foreign license and valid passport. The passport shows your U.S. entry date.
The license is usable for no longer than one year after entry.
An International Driving Permit is strongly recommended, to avoid language problems with police.

The IDP must be issued in your home country, so get it before you travel. See also driving in the US on a foreign license.

How to transfer an out-of-state license to Hawaii

Book an appointment. On Oahu use AlohaQ. Other counties use their own systems.
Fill in the Driver’s License Application Form.
Bring REAL ID documents: proof of legal name, date of birth, legal presence and Social Security number, plus two proofs of Hawaii principal residence. Originals or certified copies only.
Bring your valid license. It must not be expired.
Pass the eye test, then give fingerprints, a photo and the fee.
Surrender your old license. You leave with a temporary license. Honolulu mails the card in about 4 to 5 weeks.

Honolulu’s procedures page says applicants must be 18 or older and that the road test may be waived. Under 18 and moving to Hawaii? Ask your county how your permit or provisional license maps onto Hawaii’s provisional license rules before you book.

Hawaii checks the National Driver Register. If it shows a suspension or revocation in another state or DC, Hawaii will not issue a license, the manual says.

Holding a motorcycle endorsement? Honolulu issues a temporary type 23 (motorcycle and car) license after the eye test.

Transferring a license from Japan, Korea or Taiwan

Honolulu says Hawaii has reciprocity agreements with only these three countries. If you qualify, you skip the written and road tests. You need:

An in-person appointment at a driver licensing center.
A completed application form.
A consulate verification letter, notarized, translated and sealed by your consulate.
Your valid foreign license.
Proof of legal name, birth date, legal presence and Social Security number, plus two proofs of Hawaii residence.
An eye test, fingerprints, photo and fees.

You must be 18 or older. Your foreign license is surrendered, invalidated and returned to you. An expired foreign license does not qualify.

Licenses from every other country

You start like a new driver: the written test, the vision test, an instruction permit, then the road test (permit test and road test guides). Honolulu says a foreign national’s temporary permit expires on the same date as their authorized U.S. stay. For the road test, holders from countries in the 1943 and 1949 UN road traffic conventions must also bring a valid foreign license, an IDP and a passport with a U.S. entry date less than one year before the test.

No Social Security number? Apply at a Social Security office first, Honolulu says. Or ask about a limited purpose license, valid for driving only.

Bringing your car to Hawaii

A vehicle registered in another state can get a temporary Hawaii permit (temporary registration) up to its home registration’s expiry, but never for more than 12 months. You need the registration certificate, shipping receipt and a current Hawaii safety inspection certificate. When the permit ends, you register in your county. Active-duty military who are legal residents of another state have extra options. See Hawaii inspection and insurance.

Military drivers

A Hawaii license that expires while you are deployed outside the U.S. stays valid with your military ID while deployed and for 90 days after you return. Bring your deployment papers.
An out-of-state license that expired while you were deployed can be transferred within 90 days of return, but only from states with automatic military extensions.
Federal government drivers in federal vehicles that are not commercial vehicles, holding a valid federal license, are exempt from Hawaii licensing.

Common questions

Can I drive in Hawaii with a license from another state?

Yes, as long as it is valid. New residents transfer it at a county licensing office.

How long can I drive in Hawaii on a foreign license?

Up to one year from your arrival in the United States.

Do I need an International Driving Permit in Hawaii?

The manual pairs the foreign license with an IDP. Honolulu strongly recommends one. Carry both.

Do I have to retake the test to transfer my license?

Not if your license is valid and from another state, a U.S. territory, Canada, or a reciprocity country. If it is expired or lost, yes.

How long do new residents have to switch?

Ask your county licensing office about any deadline when you register your car.

Can my teen keep driving on their mainland permit?

Permit rules across states vary. See driving with a learner’s permit in another state and confirm with your county.

Related guides

Sources

Hawaii Department of Transportation, “Hawaii Driver’s Manual” (2023 edition), Chapters I and III (hidot.hawaii.gov)
Hawaii Department of Transportation, “Driver’s License” (hidot.hawaii.gov)
City and County of Honolulu, Department of Customer Services, “Driver’s License FAQ” (honolulu.gov)
City and County of Honolulu, Department of Customer Services, “Driver’s License Procedures” (honolulu.gov)
City and County of Honolulu, Department of Customer Services, “Foreign Driver’s License” (honolulu.gov)
City and County of Honolulu, Department of Customer Services, “Road Test” (honolulu.gov)

Driving in Hawaii on an Out-of-State or Foreign License